Two days after he missed his self-imposed deadline of forcing the collapse of the Abdullah administration through the cross over of Barisan Nasional MPs and seemed in danger of swapping credibility for ridicule, he has managed to put the government on the defensive. And probably buy himself some more time.

Today, he challenged Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi to convene an emergency Parliament sitting before Sept 23 so that a motion of no-confidence can be tabled against the Prime Minister.

"We have the numbers. If he wants the details and doesn't believe me, then convene the emergency sitting. The numbers are increasing by the hour. But as of now, it is in excess of 31 MPs. This is not empty talk," Anwar said during a press conference today, adding that Abdullah has no choice but to negotiate with Pakatan Rakyat.

This is the first time since Independence that a sitting PM is being asked to convene a special Parliament session to have a motion of no-confidence tabled against him.

Anwar knows that Abdullah will not take the bait and will probably tell the Opposition leader to be patient and wait for Oct 13 when the House reconvenes.

This answer will:

# GIVE him the time he needs to work the ground and try and persuade some MPs to abandon BN for Pakatan Rakyat. Anwar has been meeting professionals, businessmen, a few former MPs and even members of some prominent Umno families in the past week asking them to join Parti Keadilan Rakyat. He has told a few of them that he has the numbers but was unwilling to share any names of the BN crossovers with them. Some of them have left the meetings - which have taken place at his home in Segambut or at the home of mutual friends - convinced that he does not have 31 BN MPs in his pocket. Others have been willing to give him the benefit of doubt.

# ALLOW him to portray the Abdullah administration as cowardly and unwilling to follow democratic practices. He said as much today noting that any delay to the request for an emergency Parliament session would be seen "as nothing short of a further sabotage of the democratic process and abuse of executive power."

# KEEP alive the prospect of the mass crossover and collapse of the Barisan Nasional. Sure, some seeds of doubt have taken root in the minds of people since the Sept 16 deadline came and went. But in a country where hope in the government is a fast fading commodity, the public still want to believe that Anwar - who has fashioned himself as the saviour of the country can deliver on a promise.

The Opposition icon knows that failure to deliver 31 MPs and oust Abdullah and BN out of Parliament will hurt him in the court of public opinion. His latest challenge to Abdullah suggests that he needs more time to get the numbers.

FOR months the entire country had been nervously awaiting Malaysia Day, September 16th. And not just to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Sabah and Sarawak, Britain’s colonies on Borneo, joining with the Malayan peninsula to form Malaysia. The opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim, had been promising, since his alliance’s strong showing in a general election in March, that by Malaysia Day he would convince more than 30 parliamentarians from the governing coalition to switch sides, thereby giving him a majority and allowing him to take power. Mr Anwar’s sweeping victory in a by-election last month heightened the speculation that he was on track to keep his promise.

The big day arrived. The prime minister, Abdullah Badawi, and his deputy, Najib Razak, ostentatiously went about their business, ridiculing Mr Anwar’s threat as a “mirage” and a “deception” respectively. Mr Anwar called a press conference to claim that he had “firm commitments” from enough government MPs to win power. He demanded a meeting with Mr Badawi to discuss a smooth handover. But still he did not name the supposed defectors. He has since called for parliament to be recalled from recess to hold a vote of no confidence in the government. Mr Badawi seems unlikely to agree to this or to meet Mr Anwar. The ruling coalition, led by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), has run the country uninterruptedly since the peninsula’s independence from Britain 51 years ago. So is Mr Anwar’s boast the bluff of the half-century?

Malaysians might have concluded thus had it not been for the signs of panic from the government over the threat from Mr Anwar, and its deep and widening splits over Mr Badawi’s leadership. The “sodomy” charge brought in June against Mr Anwar by a male ex-assistant looked suspiciously similar to the bogus charges that brought him down in 1998, when he was the deputy, and chief rival, to the then prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad. Eight days before Malaysia Day, UMNO packed off dozens of its MPs on a supposed study tour of Taiwan, a blatant ploy to keep them away from Mr Anwar.

Then on September 12th three thorns in the government’s side were arrested under Malaysia’s Internal Security Act, a relic of British colonial rule that allows indefinite detention without charge. They included a pro-opposition blogger who had made sensational allegations against Mr Najib and an ethnic-Chinese opposition MP whose supposed offence had been to ask her local mosque to turn down its loudspeakers (she denied this).

The third detainee, released after 18 hours, was a journalist who had accurately reported racist comments by a minor UMNO official. The official had called the country’s Chinese minority “squatters” and said they were power-hungry “like the Jews in America”. The unrepentant official himself was not arrested, just suspended from party membership. This prompted the Malaysian Chinese Association, a party in the ruling coalition, to hint that its patience with UMNO’s ethnic-Malay supremacists was close to exhaustion.

The detentions looked like the start of the wider crackdown that some fear a cornered UMNO might yet launch, to save its skin. But they succeeded only in widening the splits in the ruling party. The cabinet’s leading reformist, Zaid Ibrahim, appointed recently to overhaul the politicised justice system, resigned and announced he now had an “open mind” about joining the opposition. Muhyiddin Yassin, the trade minister, called for the prime minister to step down early (he has already promised to hand over to Mr Najib in 2010). Several other ministers openly criticised the arrests.

Dr Mahathir—who has become a bitter critic of his successor as prime minister and had recently quit UMNO in a sulk—marked Malaysia Day by letting it be known he was rejoining, presumably to foment an internal coup against Mr Badawi. The next day the prime minister said he might hand over to Mr Najib early and, in the meantime, would give him the finance minister’s portfolio, hitherto held by himself. Shortly after, the Sabah Progressive Party, a small Borneo party with two MPs, said it was quitting the ruling coalition to go “independent”.

For the opposition, the prospect of Dr Mahathir helping UMNO destroy itself is “exciting”, as Nik Aziz Nik Mat, a leader of the Islamist Party, a member of Mr Anwar’s alliance, gleefully put it. The disarray in the ruling party will do no harm to the opposition’s hopes of gaining power. But it remains unclear if it has pushed enough disaffected government MPs to make the jump to Mr Anwar’s camp. Malaysian pundits think Mr Anwar has lined up a fairly large group of potential defectors. But they reckon he can keep voters waiting only a little while longer before they start to wonder if he is no more to be trusted than the government he loves to lambast.

September 18, 2008

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim claims he sent a letter to the Prime Minister on Thursday requesting him to call an emergency Parliament session no later that Sept 23 to deliberate on a vote of no-confidence against Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s leadership.

The letter was jointly signed by him as the PKR leader, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, he said at a press conference at the PKR headquarters here Thursday afternoon.

“We will convene an emergency meeting if there is no response from the Prime Minister.

“And we won’t reveal the 31 names (of the MPs crossing over) unless the Prime Minister categorically assures that MPs are given their chance to appear (in Parliament) next Tuesday (Sept 23) to give their vote in the motion of ‘no-confidence’ against the PM,” he added.

CTS: Now my dear Malaysians, he twisted his word. He knows Malaysians including those who are the parliament leaders are not in favor of Pak Lah. Now he asking Pak Lah for vote of no confidence againt him. I thought he has already have 31 MPs to cross party. Don't be cheated by him. Vote of no confidence and cross party to so call create a new government is two different issues!

Anwar also did not discount the possibility of seeking an audience with the King as one of the options Pakatan would take if Abdullah fails to convene an emergency Parliament session.

He added he found the Prime Minister’s comment that he was a threat to national and economic security as “reckless and irresponsible in light of the disastrous outcome of last Friday’s ISA raids.”

When asked if he was concerned about being arrested under the ISA, Anwar said there was no reason why he should be arrested.

“Furthermore, the PM and Home Minister have assured there would be no more arrests,” he said.

The Opposition leader and Permatang Pauh MP also told reporters that he has been in touch with SAPP president Datuk Yong Teck Lee.

The Sabah party announced on Wednesday that it was pulling out of Barisan Nasional but would not be joining Pakatan Rakyat.

Yong had said SAPP would remain independent in the Opposition bench until a time came when the party was ready to be back in government.

CTS: He knows that parliament is not in session in this fasting month. So he try to create a new drama. Why on earth you think that Pak Lah is going to listen to you, Moron? You call for the press conference just to covey your stupid ideas. Come on!

Secondly, you asked that man to hold a emergency parliament just to get ride of him (so call). Ha .. Ha ... Ha ... You are really a true comedian. Do you think we are as stupid as you?

On Tuesday, Anwar claimed that he had enough lawmakers to form a new government but has officially delayed the takeover deadline.

He said he was prepared to delay the deadline in the interest of a smooth transition of power.

He was also ready to show Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi the list of Barisan Nasional MPs defecting over to Pakatan Rakyat should Abdullah grant him a meeting.

“The numbers are increasing by the hour, but as of now, it is in excess of 31 MPs, This is not empty talk. I am fully responsible for my statement but we have choose to be patient and use the conciliatory way,” Anwar told a packed press conference at the PKR headquarters.

The Opposition Leader said he would even give Abdullah the list of names of Barisan MPs wanting to defect at their meeting.

“I am appealing in the name of political stability and smooth transition. It will be preposterous for the Prime Minister to deny me this meeting. He has no choice but to negotiate since we have the numbers,” said Anwar.

CTS: Same script, different version. You have bankrupt ideas Anwar.

Asked why he still refused to give the exact number of defecting MPs, or their names, Anwar replied there was fear the MPs would be detained or harassed.

CTS: You don't want to give names fear that they will be detained and harassed but you are willing to see Pak Lah to submit the same names. What a master Flip Flop you are!

Pressed for a deadline for the meeting, Anwar said he did not like to give any ultimatum but it should be within these few days or other options would be considered.

Asked if he would seek an audience with the King and present himself as commanding majority in Parliament, or would he seek a no-confidence motion against Abdullah at the next Parliament sitting in October, Anwar was non-committal and said such options would be discussed at the highest leadership level in PR.

CTS: Now he carefully in choosing his word. "I'm not commit ... I will discuses at the highest leadership level in PR." Bullshit! You just don't dare to make a promise as you are a liar!

Why is he so gloomy today? Is it because something I have said or done? Why his kiss is not warm as usual? Is he sick or having difficulties at his work place? Maybe because of financial burden during festival eve. God I have no clue!

Today is a very sad day for me. A friend, a famous and one of the pioneer bloggers in the country, Syed Azidi Syed Aziz, better known as Sheih Kickdefella, was detained by police yesterday. Click here and here for more ...

While protecting the rights of the Malays, the Chinese and Indians must also be given an assurance on their citizenship and position in the country, said Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

“God willing we will be there. If not next month, the following month, if not June or July, on Merdeka (Aug 31) or Malaysia Day. I think we should not exceed beyond that,” he told reporters on arrival in Sabah on Wednesday.

“The numbers are increasing by the hour, but as of now, it is in excess of 31 MPs, This is not empty talk. I am fully responsible for my statement but we have choose to be patient and use the conciliatory way,” Anwar told a packed press conference at the PKR headquarters.

“I am appealing in the name of political stability and smooth transition. It will be preposterous for the Prime Minister to deny me this meeting. He has no choice but to negotiate since we have the numbers,” said Anwar.

“I don’t think he has the names. If he does, I don’t think he would wait to inform the people.

“If he has the names, he can reveal it and let all Malaysians know. They want to know because the people voted them in as MPs and they want to know whether the MPs are running away, doing something else or joining another party,” he told a press conference.

“That is his behaviour and later the whole world would know his message. You think he will be requesting me to discuss? He will storm into my room with hundreds of people screaming behind him ‘victory’,” he said.

PETALING JAYA: Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has claimed that more than 31 Barisan MPs have agreed to cross over to Pakatan Rakyat.

He, however, refused to reveal the names of the 31 MPs.

Anwar told a press conference at the PKR headquarters in Petaling Jaya on Tuesday that he would do so when he meets the Prime Minister.

The Permatang Pauh MP also claimed that the transition to the new Government has been delayed a few days pending the meeting with Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to ensure a smooth and peaceful transition.

He said it was up to Abdullah to agree to the meeting and its date.

In a letter submitted to Abdullah on Monday, Pakatan had made four demands to ensure a smooth transition:

1) That Barisan does not hinder or prevent the MPs from acting in accordance with their conscience and judgement;

2) That the Barisan government should not invoke the Internal Security Act to detain the MPs or any other current Pakatan MPs;

3) That Barisan government does not invoke emergency laws or police powers or suspend the Constitution or dissolve Parliament; and

4) That the Barisan government shall not impose roadblocks or impede MPs from going to Parliament or any institution of government.

Cucu Tok Selampit: Same script, different tune. If true let us know the "rakyat" culprits. We wait and see what is the ending of his stupid drama.

Texas, September 15, 2008 : A single house is left standing on the waterfront near Gilchrist, Texas, USA on 14 September 2008 following the destruction along the Texas coast. As Hurricane Ike slowed to a tropical depression after carving a path of destruction through Texas, rescuers were using everything from dump trucks to boats and helicopters to reach stranded residents. The victims, many of whom had ignored mandatory evacuation orders, were trapped on rooftops or amid debris in unstable houses without electricity or clean water. EPA

He also claimed to have sent a letter to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Monday afternoon on the list of Barisan Nasional members of parliament who would cross over to Pakatan Rakyat.

However, Anwar who spoke before some 12,000 supporters at a 45th Malaysia Day celebration at the Petaling Jaya City Council Stadium in Kelana Jaya here, did not name the MPs involved.

Cucu Tok Selampit: Since when this Back Door Flip Flop PM is concerned about Malaysian Day. Just to get support from Sarawakians and Sabahans, you act like you really care about the date. What a great actor, A Drama King!

Anwar, who is also the Opposition leader in parliament, said he would later be meeting the prime minister to discuss the change of government.

He also urged for the immediate release of Selangor state executive councillor Teresa Kok and blogger and operator of the Malaysia Today website Raja Petra Kamaruddin who were recently arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

"To protect a free country, one that is not held in shackles by draconian laws, I promise that the ISA will be abolished and the detainees released if Pakatan Rakyat were to rule," he said.

September 15, 2008

De facto Law Minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim has submitted his resignation letter to the Prime Minister.

However, it is known yet whether Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has accepted Zaid's resignation.

According to sources, the senator tendered his letter of resignation to the Prime Minister's office just before 2pm on Monday.

Zaid could not be reached for confirmation.

Cucu Tok Selampit: Wanna resign? Go ahead! Nobody is going to cry, nobody is going to beg for your return, and no one will ever give a damn to your missing shadow. Because nobody cares! You are just a puppet for the Bar council.